April 24: Post Testing

From our reporters, Lulu and Gwen:

      The English Language Arts (ELA) test was the test we took last week (14-16 of April). We all agreed that we didn't have to much trouble. There were multiple choice, short responses, and extended responses. 

    "I think you guys did fine," said Ms. Chiu. 

    "The Multiple choice questions were pretty easy, the responses were harder." said Gwen. 

We started reading The Year Of The Panda on Friday. We finished on Tuesday. There is this cute little Panda named Su Lin, who goes to this rescue place. We also had some Dim sum on Friday. 

     On Tuesday we went to the Armory. These are the 5 stations we had: 1 a relay race, 2 a obstacle course, 3 palm ball, 4 (like usual) track, and 5 yoga. 

     As you all know we had the math test this time its the 22-24th.  " Math is fun!" said Lulu, while Gwen was nodding her head in agreement.

    We started to learn about Africa and its grasslands, deserts and rainforests. We made salt dough maps and learned how to play Mancala.

We are finished with testing this year. Everyone was able to keep on task for the three day process. While the test is a major event this year, we've discussed that this is not the only criteria for success in school and that what we do in our school days also matter.

Here's what will happen next week:

• We will continue our unit on Africa till the end of this year. So far we have looked at the major biomes of this continent and learned about it's climate and wildlife. We've watched parts of documentaries to better visualize life in this far away place.
• We are going to the Vanderbilt Playground on Monday from 10:20-11:30 to celebrate the end of testing this year. We will be back for computers and lunch.  Please send your child with comfortable clothes for playing and a snack to have at the park. 
• We are resuming our regular Go Math lessons and will be wrapping up Unit 10. There will be a unit test on Wednesday on the different types of Measurements (time, length, liquid volume and mass).
• As part of our Africa unit, the third grade will head over to the American Museum of Natural History on Thursday. Chaperones received a letter last week with an itinerary. I want to thank you all in advance for volunteering for this trip!
• Family Friday will be a fun event as we join our Kindergarten Buddies for an Earth Day craft. Some families will visit our Buddies classroom, while some of the Buddies will bring their families to visit our room. The Annual Earth Day parade will happen at 2:20 and families are invited to watch. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

April 17: Math Testing

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a lovely Spring Break. We returned to a huge task, the ELA test, and I am proud to say that our children have been amazing throughout their first standardized test. They persevered through an extremely challenging exam. There were many passages and questions that required deep and careful  thinking. Without exception, every child stayed on task and worked through it as best as they could. Regardless of the results, we can all be proud of the determination our children showed this week.

Due to a busy week, we will have a full report of this week and the next from our blog reporters, Gwen and Lulu in the next post. We will also resume our video broadcasts next week. Please keep an eye out for those :)

Here's what to expect for next week:

• Please sign the trips slips that were sent home on Friday. One excursion is a trip two the Vanderbilt Playground for some fun after the testing. The second trip is to the Brooklyn Museum where we will take a tour of their African Mask exhibits. 
• We will launch our unit on Africa this week, starting with the geography of this diverse continent. Each child has been asked to bring in a sturdy 9"X12" piece of corrugated cardboard and some salt dough to build a map of the biomes of Africa on Tuesday so that we can begin this project after the Math testing.
• The NYS Math test will take place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. There will be homework on Monday but not on the nights prior to the test to ensure a good night's rest. Please make sure your child arrives to school on time and has had a nutritious breakfast. 

Have a marvelous spring weekend!

April 2: Happy Spring Recess

From Lulu and Gwen:

On Monday, we had our last Dance class :(. Everyone seemed to not like the fact that it was our last Dance class but everyone seemed to like what we were doing. In computers Mr. Do Tran is teaching how to use Microsoft Excel. It is very fascinating. we wrote facts about Africa. In music we learned a new song. We also learned how to play "This Land is Your Land" on the recorder.

Many of you have received the optional test practice packet. This is one way  to help your child maintain focused reading habits throughout the spring break. Your child can benefit from light practice ( 15- 20 minutes) to maintain test strategies learned in class.

If you chose not to receive a test packet, it would be fine to encourage your child to keep up their reading habits with their independent books. Every child has borrowed books from our class library for such purpose. 

On another note, check out our new video featuring Kento and Dahlia!

Here's what to expect when we return:

• The NYS ELA exam will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday,  and Thursday. Please make sure your child gets a good nights sleep and a nutritious breakfast prior. There will be no homework other than reading the nights before the tests. 

Have a restful, sunny Spring Recess!